The number of high school graduates in Ukraine has dropped sharply over the past year

Ukraine has seen a sharp drop in the number of high school graduates this year, based on statistics from the National Multi-Subject Test (NMT).

This was announced by Deputy Minister of Education Mykhailo Vynnytsky.

According to him, this year 12% of graduates failed to pass the test — approximately 25,000 students. From this, it can be calculated that around 208,000 students took the NMT this year.

By comparison, 283,370 students took the test last year, according to official data. This means the total number of test-takers has dropped by more than 75,000, or 26%.

Earlier, the Ministry of Education acknowledged a trend of young people leaving the country after graduating from school but claimed it was “not a mass phenomenon.” Officials also stated that many of those who left were still taking the NMT abroad.

It’s worth noting that Ukrainian males are generally not allowed to leave the country after turning 18. High school students usually graduate at around 17–18 years old.

Previously, media reports indicated that there are 3.74 million school-aged children remaining in Ukraine — the lowest number in the last 30 years.